1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for forming an article and performing a secondary operation on the article in-situ, and more particularly to an apparatus for superplastic forming an article and performing a cutting, flanging, and/or restrike operation on the article while the article is in the apparatus.
2. Background Art
Forming methodologies, such as superplastic forming, are used to make various metal parts. In superplastic forming, a sheet of metal having superplastic characteristics is formed into a desired shape using a die. More specifically, the die and metal sheet are heated to a temperature at which the metal sheet exhibits superplastic characteristics, then gas pressure is applied to stretch a portion of the sheet into a die cavity.
Secondary operations, such as trimming, were previously performed on the part after it was removed from the die. Performing secondary operations apart from the die increases facilities and tooling costs, labor costs, floor space requirements, and overall process cycle time. In addition, the use of separate secondary operations reduces part quality due to warpage that occurs if the part is removed from the die before it is sufficiently cooled, mishandling, and misalignment if parts are improperly refixtured to perform a secondary operation.
Before applicant's invention, there was a need for an apparatus and a method for forming an article and performing secondary operations in-situ to reduce costs and improve quality. Problems associated with the prior art as noted above and other problems are addressed by applicant's invention as summarized below.